Welcome to Abilities Richmond where the right peoplein the right place are doing the right thing.

You have entered the official Abilities Richmond website where you can find out what we are doing in the Richmond, Indiana community to provide opportunities to individuals with disabilities. Take a look around. Check out our purpose, Abilities Richmond Thrift Store, How you can get involved, and so much more.

Abilities Thrift Store

The mission statement of Abilities Richmond is to provide individuals with disabilities work experiences, which will enable them to discover and develop their unique capabilities and potential, and to help them achieve the highest degree of independence and self-respect.

The above mission statement is lived out everyday at the Abilities Thrift Store as disabled youth and young adults learn the various aspects of a retail business. Activities and training include the use of both gross and fine motor skills, critical thinking, the enhancement of socialization skills, reading and money manipulation as the disabled youth and young adults undertake the following daily activities:

1. Unloading donated goods from contributors.
2. Sorting donated goods by colors, sizes or type as directed.
3. Hanging of clothing.
4. Pricing all items as instructed.
5. Moving all pieces onto the store’s floor: from furniture and clothing to linens and electronics to books and videos.
6. Greeting and directing customers.
7. Ringing up sales, including the use of percentages on the register.
8. Using both debit/credit cards and counting out cash for a currency exchange.
9. Bagging up purchased items for customers and thanking them.
10. Art and craft projects are initiated as special undertakings from time to time.
11. Cleaning and maintenance of the store.

One of the strongest tenets of the Abilities Richmond philosophy is that these young people who have traditionally been relegated to cleaning the bathrooms and emptying trash cans now are challenged to more complicated tasks. They may still run a sweeper or wash a window, but, on that same day, they will also be expected to handle other store projects, such as sorting and pricing.

All work activities are organized with the mission statement’s main premise at the forefront. When these young disabled people leave the store to return to their homes or their classrooms, they exit with a smile on their face, and feelings of accomplishment and independence, as well as the knowledge that they are respected.